Groepsportret van Eiso, Gerda en Netta Bergsma en dr. De Jong op rotsen te Brastagi 1926

This is an anonymous photograph, a small black and white print made some time in the past. It shows a family group posing on rocks, with a leafy background of trees or foliage. There’s an interesting tension in this snapshot between the desire to capture a specific moment and the way that the photograph also feels timeless. I imagine the photographer carefully composing the shot, trying to frame the subjects against the rugged rocks and dense background. But it is difficult to know what they were thinking, what they are looking at. The tonal range is limited, with soft contrasts that give it a muted quality. It has a handmade feel. The surface is smooth, almost matte, which contributes to its intimate scale. In a way, the artist is in dialogue with painters, thinking about form, tone and the way we perceive the world. It’s not a painting, but it makes me think about paintings and the way that the photograph's conversation with painting enriches how we experience the world.